Stanford library collection traces the evolution of early American history

Using early images of Native Americans and maps of the American West, Humanities Center Director Caroline Winterer discusses how the Tanenbaum collection illuminates American history.

Addressing a group of invited guests at the Stanford University Library on October 20, Stanford historian Caroline Winterer discusses the catalog of the Charles J. Tanenbaum Collection of the Eighteenth Century.

Winterer's talk celebrates the launching of the Tanenbaum Collection's printed catalog, over 300 pages long, that includes early editions of such works as Thomas Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia. Using a colorful series of images and maps, Winterer's lively talk illustrates how students and visitors can witness a transformation in American ideas of the people and topography of North America.

Tanenbaum, an avid rare-book collector, donated his extensive collection of books and manuscripts to the Stanford Library so that students could engage with original source materials. The collection is used regularly by students and professors researching this period of early American History.